The Second Doctor owned a recorder which he enjoyed playing, mostly as a source of self-amusement, but also to help him think. While his future incarnations often relied on the sonic screwdriver as their favourite tool, this Doctor preferred the recorder as an all-purpose utenstil.

When the Second Doctor and the Third Doctor were transported to Omega's anti-matter universe, the recorder fell into the TARDIS' force field generator, and was therefore not converted into anti-matter during the trip. When the Doctors discovered this, they offered it to Omega, and the resulting annihilation seemingly destroyed the renegade Time Lord and his world. In exchange for his sacrifice of the instrument, the Third Doctor promised his earlier self that he would buy him a "thousand" more. (TV: The Three Doctors)

Although his memories of meeting his future self quickly faded, the Doctor did remember that he had lost his recorder, and went to a music shop on Amber Station to get a new one. (PROSE: Briefly Noted)

The Sixth Doctor, confused by a time-slip with the affected Second Doctor, tried to remember a musical instrument important to him. He mentioned a clarinet and a flute, before recalling it was a recorder. (TV: The Two Doctors)